Vernon Y Jensen

Vernon Y Jensen, age 98, passed away peacefully on December 23, 2025, at his son’s home in Monroe, Washington, after a long battle with cancer. The family is very grateful to Providence at Home with Compassus Hospice, who made sure that Dad was comfortable in his final days.

Vernon was born on January 6, 1927, in Groveland, Idaho, to Joseph Franklin Jensen and Bertha Lucretia Yancey, with his twin sister, Vonda, following after him. Growing up during the Great Depression, Vernon learned the value of hard work early in his life, working beside his family on their farm which kept them fed and clothed during his childhood.

With his parents’ blessing, Vernon left home while still an adolescent to make his own way in life. Some of his first jobs included working for the US Forest Service and also as a bell hop with room and board at the Eccles Hotel in Blackfoot. At 18 Vernon was drafted into the Navy for World War II, which ended the next year. Vernon graduated from Blackfoot High School and attended the University of Utah under the GI Bill and a Navy ROTC scholarship, becoming a Petty Officer 2nd Class. He left school – and the Navy – to serve a two-year mission in Great Britain for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Vernon earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah where he also served one year as president of Lambda Delta Sigma. He took a job with Hughes Aircraft which provided the opportunity to earn his Master degree at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Vernon then became employed with Sperry Univac in Salt Lake City (now L3 Harris) which led to a 30-year career as an electrical engineer.

Upon retirement Vernon fulfilled a lifelong dream of teaching, working as an adjunct professor in the BYU Electrical Engineering Department, a job which he cherished for 13 years. In his later years he enjoyed working for the Davis County Libraries at the Bountiful Branch until his health required him to permanently retire 6 years later.

Vernon married the love of his life, Helen Joyce Mills, in the Salt Lake Temple on December 12, 1957. They settled in Bountiful, Utah, where they raised their 6 children and where Vernon served as first bishop of the newly formed Bountiful 36th Ward. Vernon’s engineering talent proved a blessing when he was asked to oversee the renovation and expansion of the ward building, which is still in use today.

Vernon enjoyed growing fruits and vegetables, tending the yard, and welcoming family, friends, and neighbors to his front lawn to watch parades. For many years Vernon maintained a small vineyard, selling bushels of grapes every fall for juicing and jelly-making. Vernon was skilled in building with his hands and enjoyed the adult woodworking classes at Woods Cross High School. As a widower, Vernon appreciated having a few of his sisters live nearby and enjoyed playing Rook and going on cruises with them.

Vernon was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all of his life. He bore his testimony through his innumerable acts of selfless service, as well as fulfilling many callings in the Church. He was an avid supporter of the Boy Scout program which all of his sons participated in with their father at their side.

Vernon proved to be the stalwart glue that held his family together during the many years his wife battled chronic illness. His example of love and devotion to our mother through those difficult years left a positive mark on all of his children. We’ll always fondly remember family vacations at Aspen Grove, sailing at Sweetwater, road trips to Disneyland, and fireworks in Wyoming. Dad, you are and always will be our hero.

Vernon was preceded in death by his parents, his twin sister Vonda and his other seven siblings, and by his wife, Joyce, and his oldest son Kay. Vernon is survived by his remaining four sons, Keith (Carol) Jensen of Pocatello ID, Stephen (Sharon) Jensen of Monroe WA, Peter Jensen (Amy Fielding) of Salt Lake City UT, Jonathan (Melissa) Jensen of Pocatello ID, and one daughter Ellen (Douglas) Hindman of Brookville PA, 15 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and a multitude of extended family who remember and love Vernon to this day.

Vernon was laid to rest on January 5, 2026, beside his wife of 45 years at Memorial Lakeview Mortuary and Cemetery in Bountiful. At Vernon’s request there was no viewing.

Instead, everyone is welcome to join family and friends at a Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 3:00 --5:00 p.m., at the Bountiful 36th Ward Building, 102 East 1400 South in Bountiful. There will be a short program from 3:00–3:30 p.m. followed by an open house. Graveside military honors at Lakeview Cemetery, 1640 Lakeview Drive in Bountiful will take place earlier that same day, at 2:00 p.m., for those who would like to attend.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the LDS Church Humanitarian Fund or your local Hospice would be an appreciated honor to our father’s legacy.